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July 08, 2006
Bamboo Sheets
If you are looking for organic, natural fiber bed sheets, consider bamboo. It's durable, soft, silky, and breathes. You can buy bamboo bed sheets and sheet sets in a variety of sizes, ranging from king-size to twin, and a few muted colors. And more stores are carrying them, both online and in their stores. Bamboo sheets wash well. They feel great. And because they breathe, sleep is restful and comfortable. Treat your guests and yourself like royalty by buying 100 p.rcent bamboo fiber sheets.
While attending a bed and breakfast conference recently, I visited Inn Style in the vendor section to investigate what they had in the way of organic cotton sheets. Instead, I found organic bamboo sheets. The sheets I found are 100 percent bamboo fiber sheets, not a bamboo/cotton blend.
These sheets have all the benefits of satin, silk, and high quality Egyptian cotton bed sheets, with few of the disadvantages of any of them. The price is quite reasonable. Nothing slips off them during the night (the way you experience satin sheets). The hand (how it drapes across your hand) is heavenly. These sheets, be they knit or woven, are soft, supple, and silky to the touch.
Bamboo and silk fibers are more easily damaged by bleaching than other fabrics, so using baking soda and white vinegar in your wash and rinse cycles, respectively, are a better way of keeping sheets clean, bright and soft (and not stinking of perfumes found in fabric softeners). If the sheets get a tough stain, StainSolver is a powerful oxygen bleach you can safely use on them. Bamboo sheets also fair better with a cold-water wash, rather than a warm- or hot-water wash. Think of the comfort you create and the money you save with these laundry changes!
Bamboo sheets are a great alternative to organic cotton because bamboo grows readily much less water than cotton, and without fertilizers or pesticides. By buying natural-colored, undyed sheets, you have completed the cycle of natural bedding. And they feel so good you are taking care of your guests, treating them like royalty, but on a reasonable budget.
The knit bamboo sheets I bought from Inn Style to experiment with came in several, softly-hued colors; I chose natural. I later found white, 250 thread-count woven bamboo sheets at Sam's club. They are a much better quality than any discount bed sheet I've ever experienced or purchased. The fabric in both sets of of bamboo sheets is soft and drapes nicely. They breathe well, helping keep your guests comfortable all night.
Personally I have preferred jersey-knit sheets because I live in a cool-temperature climate and these sheets regulated my temperature year 'round. I was concerned that I was going to lose that temperature balance if I gave up my knit sheets. Neither of the bamboo sheet sets is a problem for me; I maintain the right temperature while I sleep.
The sheets were soft when we first opened the package. Each have been laundered only twice, so far, but the laundry results are positive. When I removed the knit sheets from the drier the first time, after a few hours of being crumpled, I was relieved to see they weren't terribly wrinkled. Both sets are somewhat wrinkled after the laundry cycle, which will be a problem for some people, but a non-issue for me. I'll report again after we've had them longer and washed them many more times.
Organic bamboo sheets are a natural for the lodging industry. Bamboo is environmentally friendly in its growth patterns, and if you take care of your bamboo sheets naturally, they also are good for your guests with allergies and chemical sensitivities. You can buy them at several places, but Inn Style and Sam's are where I started.
Posted by Kit Cassingham
Comments
We recently purchased our first set of Bamboo Sheets from http://www.sleepbamboo.com and we love them. They are so perfectly soft without being slippery and they acclimate to our body temperature which means they also warm up quickly on cold night! They may seem expensive but the investment is worth it. If you are in the hospitality business, you will win over customers right away if you make this investment. There is nothing like it and it is an investment in our environment too! Happy sleeping! cmh.
Posted by: Carly at June 2, 2008 02:13 PM
Glad to find another bamboo sheet site. Weird site -- hard to navigate through. When I did find the sheets I was a bit aghast at the cost of them. That's the same kind of price Viva Terra charges, and I think of them as high end.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 3, 2008 12:54 PM
I LOVE my 100% Bamboo sheets!!! I purchased mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I have washed them at least 20 times and they get softer and softer with each washing. They are warm in the winter and cool in the summer. I don't have any other sheets for my bed at home and don't like to sleep in beds with out them!!
Posted by: Kimberly at July 17, 2008 12:36 PM
As good as 100% bamboo sheets are, they have limitations: shrinkage and durability. But if you don't mind, go for the 100% for maximum softness. I found some 70% bamboo 30% cotton sheets by Midori Linen (www.midorilinen.com), which claimed that they have the balance between softness and shrinkage control. I have tried them and found that they feel thicker than other bamboo sheets, which are typically thin. So far I haven't had problems with pilling and shrinkage. It might be worth looking into if you want bamboo sheets that will last...
Posted by: Anonymous at August 20, 2008 12:00 PM
I'm not sure how long I have to wait to learn if my sheets aren't holding up, but mine are over two years old and they look as great as they did the first time I used them. And I haven't had a bit of shrinkage on either set.
Midori's sheets (and towels) look pretty good, though the sheet pricing is a bit steep for my blood. And since there's no mention of whether the cotton part of the blend is organic I have to assume it's not; too bad.
Let us know how your Midori bamboo/cotton sheets last. We can run a comparison. :~)
Posted by: Kit Cassingham at August 21, 2008 04:15 PM
Is there anywhere I can buy individual bamboo sheeets, not in sets? Also, does anyone carry twin XL? Thank you.
Posted by: Barbara at September 15, 2008 07:06 PM
Does anyone make bamboo mattress pad covers?
Posted by: Barbara at September 15, 2008 07:44 PM
Barbara,
I've never looked for individual bamboo sheets so don't know if you can buy them that way. It would sure be nice though, wouldn't it. And I don't know about bamboo twin XL sheets, nor mattress pad covers. Have you Googled for these things?
Posted by: Kit Cassingham at September 19, 2008 04:38 PM
www.MidoriLinen.com has bamboo sheets available individually.
Posted by: Anonymous at October 9, 2008 03:47 PM
My 100% bamboo sheets are dingy looking. Even after washing with Oxi clean, they still look dirty. I wash in cold water and mild soap in a front loader machine. Any ideas?
Posted by: carole at November 11, 2008 12:40 PM
Carole,
First, use StainSolver for your oxygen bleach because it's stronger than any other on the market. Use warm water and let it soak for several hours before completing the wash cycle.
Also use baking soda in the wash cycle because it boosts what your soap does, and use white vinegar in the rinse cycle because it softens the fabric and helps reduce static. For top loaders use 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of white vinegar. Front loaders use less, depending on the size of the machine.
Sometimes when I have dingy laundry it's because I'm using the wrong amount or type of detergent. If your water is hard you need to use more soap. I'm experimenting with laundry soap and have liked both 7th Generation and Method soaps (both available at Target).
Hope that helps. Let me know, please.
Posted by: Kit Cassingham at November 12, 2008 11:26 AM
